Book Notes October 18, 2021

 Captive audience.

It really is a trend for covers to have historical fiction titles where women have their backs to the reader on covers.  What it is supposed to convey I don't know.  I'd personally find a nice character portrait more appealing.

From the My Reader's Block Blog, a Nancy Drew Reading Challenge.  The challenge uses Nancy Drew titles and suggests you read a book based on its theme or idea.  I like the idea of reading the books themselves.  I've been reading Agatha Christie's Poirot Stories this year, and really enjoy them and will likely keep reading and see them to the end.  I believe I could add in some Nancy Drew as well.  Just one a month for me.

https://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2021/10/nancy-drew-reading-challenge.html

It’s a slow news week! Here are a few new books to consider:

Literature Map

Supposedly, the Literature Map lets you pick an author you like and then it does the "cloud thing" and puts up other authors who write like your author.

This could give you a new set of authors to try, or not. Theoretically, the closer in proximity the author name is to your desired author, the more like your author they are.

I tried Douglas Adams, the favorite of my husband the Impossible Reader's Advisory Subject. So hard to figure out what he would read or not. Every technique I have for finding him new authors has failed. If I do find a new one, he'll often read a book or two and then not like them anymore, mysteriously. Agh, I say agh.

Anywho, Anne Rice is closest to Douglas Adams on the Literature Map!!!! Dept of Triple DOH, why did I NEVER think of her?


Click to Enlarge

BackType Query of the Week: Reader's Advisory

I like the idea of Backtype, sort of modern day Library Literature search, as it were, if you're trying to find out the buzz on Library Topics (who isn't? Hot stuff!)

Calmly typing in "Reader's Advisory" as my search, ha! I find no real hits on the sort of Reader's Advisory we all do. I find a bunch of boring stuff on advisory groups that have nothing to do with the glories of putting a good book in the hands of a reader.

The wily searcher types in "Library Reader's Advisory" and voila! Still nothing useful.

"Book Recommendations" a mixed bag, not any librarians touting the books, tsk.

"Libraries Reading" hmmm, sort of not really...

Ebooks making libraries popular again, can do nothing about your 80s scrunchie

Librarians can survive without libraries—we are a well-educated group and can do other things if need be. Libraries are vital and sacred ...

Column -- Relevance of Libraries

Now everyone is talking about books, and reading and storage!

Deep deep stuff.

On the Desk: Jodi Picoult

The hot writer this summer and most of this year has been Jodi Picoult. So many people have read all of her books and want more more more or they've read alot but want more more more. As prolific as Jodi Picoult is, often we have nothing at all by her on the shelf, and her books all have waiting lists. This is such a disappointment to the customer of course, and you can only hope it cheers them up to know she has another book in the works. Having a list of other authors in mind that Jodi's readers might like helps as well.

Cheers! D.O.A.

Note: the cartoon is from Witty Comics Yet another fine online cartoon generator. I wish they had a few interior backgrounds, but I really like that you can have a longer main title than many allow, and you can caption each panel.